To the editor:
In response to the letter from Judge Kromkowski, there is no doubt that she cares about children, but the Parenting Communities program itself does little if anything to help working families in Leelanau County. The early child millage would be better named “the social worker tax,” because it does not provide one cent for childcare in the traditional sense. Instead, in her words, it provides a venue “for parents to discuss challenges, seek advice, schedule more personal home visits and obtain screenings” for health services. In other words, this millage/tax pays for more government expansion under the guise of childcare. At a time when more and more families are concerned about government overstepping its bounds regarding their children, I seriously question the wisdom of this goverment program.
How many families are being served, and in what specific way, by the $750,000 we give each year to the so-called ‘Early Childhood Development Program’, which Judge Kromkowski refers to as ‘Parenting Communities’?
I wonder how many parents would rather have lower taxes and more money for their children over a visit from a government social worker.
Ann Schlueter Lake Leelanau
